Philodendron schmidtiae Croat & C. E. Cerón

Appressed hemiepiphyte or terrestrial on steep slope; sap dark purple-brown; stem to 1.5 m long; internodes short or 4-18 cm long, 2.8-8 cm diam., 1-1.5 cm long and 10-20 cm long on younger plants, medium green to gray-brown, semiglossy to matte, coarsely streaked at upper nodes, completely sheathed with dense reticulum cataphyll fibers, finally brown, close transverse-fissured;  cataphylls 35-45 cm long, sharply D-shaped to sharply 2-ribbed or sharply flattened and 2-edged, pale to medium green, sometimes tinged pinkish, semiglossy to almost matte, spongy before becoming fibrous, persisting dark brown, semi-intact as thin brown fragments of epidermis overlapping a fine pale network of fibers, drying with fragments of reddish brown to brown epidermis, the fibers manila; petioles (30-)57-66 cm long, 1.5-2 cm diam., D-shaped to convex with lateral margins somewhat raised or obtusely to sharply flattened adaxially, more acutely so toward apex, finely striate-ribbed throughout with close parallel ridges, pale-lineate, with a broad, low-ribbed medially, medium to dark green or tinged violet-purple toward apex, darker violet-purple at apex and onto base of midrib, matte to weakly glossy, firm to somewhat spongy, finely pale-raised-striate, drying dark yellow-brown, matte to weakly glossy; preadult blades subcordate, to 24.1 cm long, 15.5 cm wide, abruptly acuminate at apex, the sinus to 3 cm deep; blades 32-94 cm long, 27-82 cm wide, 1.1-1.3 times longer than broad, broadest at petiole attachment, 0.9-1.2 times long as petioles, abruptly acuminate at apex (acumen to 2 cm), thin to coriaceous, dark green and glossy above, moderately paler and semiglossy below, drying dark brown above, usually slightly paler and yellow-brown below; upper surface sparsely pustular, short pale-lineate, relatively smooth but matte; lower surface equally smooth, moderately densely dark speckled, minutely pustular, short pale lineate near veins, sometimes sparsely granular; anterior lobes 22-68 cm long, broadly rounded; posterior lobes 11-34 cm long, 11.5-21.5 cm wide, broadly rounded, turned inward and sometimes overlapping; midrib flat to sunken, and slightly to moderately paler to concolorous above, narrowly rounded, weakly dark striate and slightly darker to concolorous, sometimes faintly purplish, matte below; primary lateral veins 5-9 per side, arising at a 50-60° angle near middle, quilted-sunken and slightly paler above, round-raised, matte and concolorous, sometimes purplish below; minor veins arising mostly from midrib but also from the primary lateral veins closer to margins, fine, moderately distinct below, undulating upon drying; major veins sometimes reddish near the base, drying dark brown; smaller veins on lower surface distinct, somewhat intermittent; laticifers conspicuous, long, wavy and sometimes crossing over minor veins; basal veins 10-14 pairs, (2nd-) 3rd-4th pair free to the base, 4th and 5th and higher order fused 1-6 cm; posterior rib gradually curved, naked to 7 cm; sinus hippocrepiform, 7-32 cm deep, to closed or obovate. INFLORESCENCES 2-3 per axil; peduncle 7-12 cm long, 1.7 cm diam. midway, pale green, coarsely whitish streaked especially near apex; spathe 18-23 cm long, 2.3-3.0 cm diam., pale green outside and weakly glossy pre-anthesis, tube densely pale short-lineate throughout and slightly more greenish than the blade outside; inner surface glossy deeply burgundy-purple throughout; female part pale greenish white, 1.8 cm diam. midway, 1.4 cm diam. at apex, 5.5-6.8 cm long in front, 4.0-4.6 cm long in back; male spadix 13 cm long, 2 cm diam. midway, 1 cm diam. at 1 cm from apex ; sterile male section only slightly thicker than female part 2 cm long; pistils 1.4 mm long, 1.4-1.6 mm diam.; styles short; stigma 1.1-1.3 mm diam., 0.2 mm thick, papillae dense but mostly with a open space midway; style slightly wider than the stigmas, sloping down sharply; ovary 5-6-locular, with the outer walls moderately thick, lacking any obvious cellular inclusions; locules 2.8 mm long, 0.6 mm diam.; ovules ca. 20 per locules, 0.4-0.5 mm long, with axile placentation, extending from the very base to the very apex of the locule; immature fruits greenish white.